Devotionals for the Heart: Why waiting on the Lord is always worth it

When Dreams Come True After a Long Wait
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”

—Lamentations 3:25 (ESV)

Have you ever waited for something you prayed for, something you desperately wanted to come to fruition? And when it finally did, it was almost unbelievable, like maybe you were dreaming and this wasn’t actually happening?

That’s how I’m feeling this month as a dream I’ve had since I was a child is finally coming to pass. This week, my debut novel releases, The Memory Garden, book one in a contemporary Christian fiction series set in a fictional town in South Carolina. Excitement is thrumming through my fingers as I write this—can you feel it?

It’s funny, though, because now that this day is here, I realize why the wait took so long. Right now, this particular time in my life and in the world around me, is the absolute perfect time for my book to release. I cannot imagine it releasing at any other phase in my life. Yet even saying this is such a strange feeling.

I know that God’s timing is perfect, but it’s as if, in this situation, I’m experiencing His perfect timing firsthand. I see His love and care for me and for this book, a book God himself laid on my heart to write.

I’ve shared before that one of the first toys I remember as a kid was my mom’s old typewriter. She would let me write all of my imaginary stories on the old machine, and while there was no paper, I remember that feeling of satisfaction as my little girl fingers would mash those keys to my heart’s content. I spent my childhood practicing my craft, everything from scribbling in my diary to writing short stories.

I was 21 and a recent college graduate when I started writing my first (unpublished) novel. And now, finally, here I am—almost three decades later. And it’s time. This feels right. But the waiting was long—do you know what I mean?

Heartbreakingly long. Often I wondered if it would ever happen to me, if my dreams would ever come true. While I’ve been blessed to make my career as a journalist, my passion has always been fiction. And it feels surreal to know this precious thing that has stirred in my heart for so long truly is becoming a reality.

It reminds me of other long waits for dreams come true—a period of infertility, then two children. Three years walking alongside my daughter as she battled terrible depression and anxiety, now so much better. During that waiting, it felt like it would last forever. Some days felt agonizing, like an endless storm. Yet over and over, I found myself on my knees in prayer, my wilderness drawing me ever closer to Jesus Christ. Eventually, the clouds lifted.

Waiting can be incredibly hard, especially when you’re waiting for something you are certain is in line with God’s will for your life or the life of someone close to you. But just like metal must be refined in the fire before it is perfected, sometimes we also must go through a difficult period of waiting before we are refined enough to enter that next phase in our life. And when that time comes, we see so clearly why the wait was needed.

In his book A Shelter in the Time of Storm, Paul David Tripp wrote, “Remember, waiting isn’t just about what you are hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you will become as you wait.”

Sometimes we wait because God is preparing us for what is to come. Sometimes it’s because something isn’t God’s plan for us. Sometimes it’s necessary to draw us closer to Him. The trick is to settle your soul during the waiting, letting that time hone and craft you into the person God needs you to be.

If you’re waiting, remember: God loves you, and you’re waiting for a reason. Even if you don’t understand why, trust in the Lord anyway. His plan is the best, now and always.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the waiting, even during the times I struggle against your will and want what I want so badly. Help me to settle under your always loving hand, knowing that your way is the best way. Help me submit to your rule and your plan for my life, now and always. Help me grow to be the person you need me to be so I can shine your light in the world all the better. In your holy and precious name I pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “In the Waiting” by Vicki Yohe. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist, author, blogger, editor, writing coach, and devotional writer with thousands of articles to her name. 

Since 2010, she has served as the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, which has won 123 journalism awards during her tenure. Her latest book is Preparing Our Hearts: An Advent Devotional to Draw Closer to God at Christmas.

Jessica has won more than 100 writing awards. She is a seasoned speaker and frequent contributor to Christianity.com, BibleStudyTools.com, and Crosswalk.com, among many others. She has a weekly faith blog at JessicaBrodie.com and is part of the team at Wholly Loved Ministries, with her work included in many of their devotionals and Bible studies.

She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

Brodie holds a Master of Arts in English, and she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in communications/print journalism from Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Brodie now lives in Lexington, South Carolina, just outside Columbia. She has also lived in Ohio and in the mountains of western North Carolina. She and her husband, Matt Brodie, have a blended family of four teenage children and stepchildren.

Brodie has written several novels and is actively seeking publication through her agent Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her novel The Memory Garden won the 2018 Genesis contest for Contemporary Fiction from American Christian Fiction Writers, and her novel Tangled Roots won a third place Foundation Award in Contemporary Romance at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2019. She is finishing the third in the series, Hidden Seeds, now.

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Connect with Jessica:
Website: https://www.jessicabrodie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicajbrodie/
Twitter: https://x.com/JessicaJBrodie
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jessicajbrodie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicajbrodie/
Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/jessica-brodie
Download her free e-book:
https://www.jessicabrodie.com/ebook-god-centered

Devotionals for the Heart: What Happens When God Builds The House

God’s Master Building Plan
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”—Proverbs 24:3-4 (ESV)

The joy and excitement of building culminates when the structure is completed, the furnishings are placed strategically, and people begin to fill and use the building. People are what make a place useful. No matter if it’s a towering monument, a vast library or a cozy bungalow, people define and establish its architectural purpose.

Wise architects, plumbers, electricians, and contractors work together to provide a suitable building, each one bringing his or her own expertise to the job. When completed, the well-built structure may last for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.

In the same way, God gives us a blueprint for our lives. It’s found in His Word (The Holy Bible). One of His gems of wisdom is found in the book of Proverbs, which is a collection of wise sayings put together by King Solomon. Chapter 24 describes a house that is built with wisdom and understanding and is filled with all sorts of riches.

We read in 2 Corinthians 5:1 that we live in tents (houses) that are not built by human hands. The Apostle Paul was writing to the young church in Corinth, when he spoke about our body as our human house. Our tent, our humanity, is a building from God. But there’s more. This tent of ours, although it will die here on earth, is eternal. For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior, that means that we have a permanent home in Heaven.

While we’re still living in our earthly tents, we want to know how to stay strong and useful. We want to be used by God in His Kingdom’s work.

Proverbs 24:3 reminds us that wisdom builds the house (tent) and understanding establishes it. Because this building of ours needs wisdom and understanding, we turn to God’s Word again. Psalm 111:10 (ESV) tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

The “fear” the psalmist writes about is not the cringing terror of a stray dog that has been beaten and abused. True fear of the Lord is unmeasured joy. If we revere God (fear Him) we place Him on His rightful throne in our hearts. We adore and praise Him for His excellence. We acknowledge Him as King of kings and Lord of lords because that is Who He is! And because He is all we need, we live in peace and contentment when we ask Him to be Lord of our life.

As we gain His wisdom from our right relationship with God, we also need understanding. God is and always will be God. I must come to grips that I am not God, nor will I ever be. He alone is God. If I can’t accept my humble place in the Lord’s Kingdom, I will never gain understanding, and my earthly tent will forever conflict with His plan for me.

Proverbs 24:4 (ESV) goes on to say, “by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

If we truly desire “precious and pleasant riches” in this house of ours, our quest will be met graciously and abundantly by the Lord. If we ask Him for help, He will send the Holy Spirit, our ever-present gift giver. He will fill us with the fruit of the Spirit we read about in Galatians 5:22-23. He will help us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 ESV). He will convict us of our sin (John 16:8) and that includes our unbelief and all the many ways that we wrong each other.

Without God, we are nothing. With God, we walk in His wisdom, His understanding, and His knowledge. His presence is always with us, filling our houses with His Holy Spirit.

Glory to God!

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we come to You to praise You for Your strength and to acknowledge our weaknesses. Please fill these earthly tents with the Light of Your Presence and help us to open the doors of our hearts to follow Your plans for us. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Karen’s devotional message today reminds me of the song “The House That Love Built” by Babbie Mason. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Karen Marstaller is a retired high school teacher who spent most of her career challenging creative students to write. Her heart is for her readers.

She writes to encourage them, to make them laugh, to show them that life is a beautiful journey, and regardless of their past, to show them that there is joy ahead if they will just keep looking.

Karen and her husband live in central Texas in a sweet little home that they completely remodeled. They enjoy spending time with their family, which includes seven precious grandchildren.

Most of all, Karen writes in obedience to the command to love your neighbor, to offer a cup of water to those who are dying of thirst, and to comfort others with the comfort she has received.

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com

Award-Winning Author Judythe Morgan shares a devotional and book

Welcome Judythe Morgan to the blog today!

She's here to share a devotional that she wrote that's based on a Bible verse and she's sharing information about her book, When Love Blooms. It is the first book in her Fitzpatrick Family series.

Enjoy! :)

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The Promise of Romans 8:28
A devotional written by Judythe Morgan

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." ~Romans 8:28 (NIV).

This is one of my favorite verses. It says in all things God works. That’s so powerful.

Our God choreographs the “molecular movement” in every second of every minute of every day in every cell in the entire universe. In case you didn’t know, one cell has approximately 200 trillion molecules.

That’s a lot of molecules to work with. Not a problem for our Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God.

As He orchestrates those molecules, He’s forming our lives into a design specifically patterned for each of us.

In our human mind, it’s hard to wrap our heads around that idea isn’t it?

But, think about it, when you look back at your life with 20/20 hindsight, can’t you see God’s hand at work? I sure can. He has unfolded events, sent people and things into my life to bring me to where I am now – a fiction writer.

Being a writer was not something I aspired to be. Yet, God synchronized events to bring that to pass. And it is good like Rom. 8:28 promises. I love my work.

So how did God arrange my life to accomplish that purpose for me?

I had no idea when I entered a writing contest called “Hearts Crossing” back in 2009 that the entry would become the first book in the Fitzpatrick Family Series about eight preacher kids, each with a sweet romance story of his or her own.

God knew because He’d planned my life so that I married a preacher’s kid. Five years later, we had a son, who became a preacher with his own ministry called NotByWorks.

All my life God has provided opportunities to serve in church ministries wherever we lived. I’ve made good Christian friends and writing mentors. Those friends began to prod me about writing a story set around my ministry experiences.

Finally conceding to their pressure in 2014, I pulled out that old contest manuscript and began a rewrite. In the process of the rewrite, Andy's seven brothers and sisters begin chattering in my head wanting their stories told and thus the Fitzpatrick Family series begin.

God took care of the plotting ideas when He moved my husband and me all over the U.S. and overseas. Lots of experiences to draw from. No need for extensive setting research.

The Fitzpatrick series takes place in a small (fictional) town in Texas like so many small towns where we’ve lived. You'll recognize Pastor Colin Fitzpatrick, his wife Ms. Pat, and the congregation if you've ever attended a small church.

When Love Blooms is the first Fitzpatrick Family novella and tells Andy and Darcy's story. Andy's twin sisters, Rebecca and Sarah Fitzpatrick, found their soul mates in When Love Returns. Brothers Joshua Fitzpatrick (an Army sniper), Samuel Fitzpatrick (a missionary), and, baby sister Faith (a lawyer) will share their stories over the next three novellas. I’m praying my readers will have as much fun reading the stories as I am creating them.

Sometimes I may balk at God’s leading, where He leads. It’s a human tendency we all share. We shouldn’t because wherever we are, whatever we’re doing we are there by His design. 

Remember the molecules. He’s in control. All. The. Time. working for our good.

That’s the promise of Romans 8:28.

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Author bio: 

Award-winning author Judythe Morgan juggles many hats. 

She’s an Air Force daughter, Army wife, one-time Department of Army Civilian, mother/grandmother, antiques dealer, teacher, mayor’s wife, and sometimes-church pianist. 

Her diverse experiences bring life to her characters and you’ll always find a happy ending because she believes in true love, second chances, and forgiveness.

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Blurb for Judythe's book, When Love Blooms:

Eight preacher kids, each with a sweet romance story of his or her own.

After a hit-and-run accident leaves her mother confined to a special care facility, Darcy Clark abandons her dreams of becoming an architect and moving to New York City. Instead, she stays in her small town to run the family’s struggling landscape business.

At-risk students from her old high school become the labor force on a city park project, and Andy Fitzpatrick shows up to supervise his students. The chemistry between Darcy and Andy is instant.

But will a secret link between Andy and her mother’s accident kill the attraction before love can blossom?

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Buy Judythe's book:
Kindle ~ Nook ~ iTunes ~ Kobo 

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Connect with Judythe:
Website ~ Blog ~  Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads